As we work diligently to make Multiversity a better experience for our readers, we’re trying out a new review posting method. We’ll be splitting all of our individual reviews into different posts with the titles that we review revealed up front. This hopefully will allow you to pick and choose the reviews that you really want to get to, as well as making your overall experience of our site a cleaner and faster one. Yeah!
0: Uwe Boll will direct the adaptation of this comic
0.1 – 1: Burn upon touching
1- 1.9: Abysmal
2.0 – 2.9: Art. Writing. Editing. All bad.
3.0 – 3.9: You’d be a masochist to pick this up.
4.0 – 4.9: “I’ll give it another month…but that was not good.”
5.0 – 5.9: “Really? The Watcher? In the face? I guess it was fun.”
6.0 – 6.9: “Hmm. That was decent.”
7.0 – 7.9: Well made but a few problems
8.0 – 8.9: Nearly flawless
9.0 – 9.9: Outstanding
10: Perfection. Issue of the year contender
Because of Matt’s decision to…only read books that he didn’t think he’d like (I try not to buy those books, let alone review them), I had a big list this week of major titles. My reviews this week include Avengers #2, Amazing Spider-Man #635, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #3, and Wolverine: Weapon X #14. This is atypical for me because in most weeks I stick to the smaller books, i.e. Vertigo and indie ones, but with a bevy of superhero offerings for me to take, I figured why the heck not. Check out my reviews after the jump.
Avengers #2
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by: John Romita, Jr.
This was a really weird issue for me. On one hand, I really enjoyed what happened in the issue itself from a plot standpoint and I had a good time with John Romita, Jr.’s art. On the other hand, it was really difficult for me to handle the dialogue at points. Almost impossibly so.
While I really enjoy Bendis’ snappy dialogue in a lot of his books, for some reason this issue just feels burdened by dense dialogue and the staccato rhythms that come with it. In scenes like the one where Tony Stark, Noh-Varr, and Spider-Man are working on the time-space device (or at least it looks like it, realistically Noh-Varr is the only one that is) or when everyone is taking a look into possible timelines, having every character make quippy comments ultimately is more distracting than it is effective. This book feels like one of momentous events, yet one that has a cast of characters who are acting like they’re the guest cast to Rifftrax while viewing them.
The only characters that feel very true to themselves are the more solemn ones, like Noh-Varr and Thor. I’ve always been very impressed with Bendis’ work on Noh-Varr, as he has quickly turned him into an effective Marvel Universe character after years of living in obscurity after his initial mini-series. This issue shows that and more, as he struggles to fit into his role as both a citizen of Earth and as its protector. Thor…well, my concern was that Bendis would somehow get him to reference Hot Tub Time Machine or something of that sort, but he has a great grasp on him. Strong, solemn, matter-of-fact…fitting of a god assuredly.
The story continues to be a highlight real of everything I want in an Avengers comic though. Bendis handles the time-spanning ideas Kang laid upon the Avengers in last issue very well, and the giant moments like Wonder Man attacking and the last page reveal just up the intrigue 32 levels for the next issue. It is an expertly plotted book, and one that gives Romita many chances to shine.
While Romita is not always my favorite artist, I do find him to be a fairly good fit for this book. Typically, he excels in LOUD action scenes, but so far he has done a solid enough job even in the quieter moments. His two page spread of the team at work on the time-space device was a sight to behold, especially with the level of detail and intricacy he puts in the devices and on the page. You can almost see Romita’s smile reflecting in the page, gleefully illustrating things that Jack Kirby would have loved to draw if he was still around.
Continued belowAs I said, this is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed aspects of it, but the dialogue disconencted me from the overall reading experience. While I wanted to love it, this issue was hampered in a lot of ways by something that is so often Bendis’ greatest strength.
Final Verdict: 6.8 – Browse
Amazing Spider-Man #635
Written by: Joe Kelly
Illustrated by: Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano, Matt Southworth
The Grim Hunt is an arc that we’ve been building to for quite some time. The much hyped Gauntlet arc in this title was, in reality, just prelude to this. It beefed up Spidey’s rogues gallery and started putting the pieces where the Kravinoff family wanted them, and now two issues in we’ve been given one hell of a story already. With the brilliant Joe Kelly (he’s been on fire with his Spider-Man work) handling writing duties and Michael Lark and his amazing friends providing art (Stefano Gaudiano and Matt Southworth too? Yes please.), this is quickly shaping up to be an all-time great Spider-Man arc.
With this issue, we have Spidey off licking his wounds (and still suffering from Swine Flu) as he is faced with the reality of Ezekiel being back and letting him know that he is being hunted by the family Kravinoff. Not only that, but they are hunting all spiders, meaning characters like Arachne and Arana are in trouble as well. This issue features a lot of big moments, none bigger than the ending in which Ezekiel is revealed to be Chameleon in disguise and Spidey is apparently killed in an attempt to resurrect Kraven.
But this twist, to me, is easy to figure out even with Kelly’s expert misdirection: it isn’t Peter, it’s Kaine in the costume. Kelly handles the plotting and the dialogue like a champ, giving us a dark and vicious tale that continues to stack the chips against our hero in as bad of a way as we’ve ever seen. Spidey has his back against the wall, with the whole of his rogues gallery making their big move against him to take him out once and for all. It is a fiercely dramatic issue, and one that entertains thoroughly.
When I first heard that Lark was going to be working on this book, I was a little concerned. I love Lark, don’t get me wrong…he’s a phenomenal artist. But his moody atmospherics seem to fit Daredevil far better than this title. Then I found out it was going to be in this shadowy opus, a story that very well could bring the death of a lot of characters in the Spider-Man world and I knew we would be okay. His work has been brilliant, as his character models (when you really think about it) and scene design comes from the same school of thought that primo ASM artists like Marcos Martin and Max Fiumura do, but with a far darker tone and look. Matt Southworth is a perfect blend to finish up the issue, as his work to an untrained eye could be mistaken for Lark’s (it is fairly easily distinguishable to Stumptown fans though).
Two issues in to the Grim Hunt and I feel like we’re already looking at a new peak in this long and storied series. With Joe Kelly, Michael Lark and other superb creators taking us along this ride, I feel very confident that it will only continue to impress for the remainder of the arc.
Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #3
Written by: Grant Morrison
Illustrated by: Yanick Paquette
This time in the era spanning tales of Bruce Wayne, we have good ol’ Bats slowly remembering who he is (“Man…of Bats”) while he’s off on a grand adventure leading Blackbeard (the dread pirate) and his men on a quest to find treasure. This book continues to entertain, building layers upon the mythology of Batman while also moving us closer and closer to the eventual return of Batman, but is it something the DCU wants?
Continued belowThe last question is one that I thought was very interesting and something I hadn’t considered before. In a quick interlude in the midst of this issue, Batman and Robin go into Bludhaven to find Command-D and the chamber Bruce Wayne escaped from, while Red Robin speaks to the Justice League about his approaching arrival. This scene itself was a bit askew and feels like it was torn from Final Crisis in some ways (I guess this does act as a sequel to that), but what Wonder Woman said really got me: “if we really have to face a world threatening Batman.” Why is Batman world threatening? Did I miss something here? What is going on with that? Is he a tool of Darkseid, and if he returns the fabric of space and time will crumble? A bit perplexing for me, but color me intrigued.
The Blackbeard/Batman story is a very interesting and entertaining one, well told by Morrison and collaborator Yanick Paquette. The various bits of misdirection by Morrison were well played, as was the ending and how everything eventually tied into the central plot. This version of Batman that Morrison is presenting, the base instincts but still brilliant one, is a remarkable one. Morrison continues to do a lot with this character whose 70 year existence seemed to preclude him from fresh takes up until the grand maestro had taken over the reins.
Paquette is a very underrated artist, and someone who has worked well with Morrison in the past. His style is very lively and almost verging on cartoonish, yet strangely versatile in that it can fit into almost any title. He proves that once again here, steeping his character models and scenes in a darkness and grit that is typically nowhere to be seen on his pages.
While I’m still not 100% sold that this series is going to be a foundation for future Batman stories instead of a transitional story, I do have to admit I’m having a really good time reading it. I feel like Morrison is having a lot of fun writing it as well, and it comes across in his writing and the visual representation very well. Still, three issues in I was really hoping to have more answers than questions, but that continues to not be the case.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – Buy
Wolverine: Weapon X #14
Written by: Jason Aaron
Illustrated by: Ron Garney
Jason Aaron does something spectacular with this issue, and in many ways with this entire arc. He continues to give me the Wolverine series that I’ve always wanted, yet Wolverine is hardly the main star of the issue. In fact, he’s part of an ensemble cast that includes all kinds of Avengers, “Peaceloks” and future rebel force leaders. Plus, he gets to bend readers minds with his antics with time travel, giving us clever takes on a typically rote formula. In short, he’s the best at what he does, and what he does is write awesome Wolverine comics.
I’m not going to lie, this issue often brings my mind back to the Terminator movies, but only the good parts. We have the Skynet (Roxxon), we have the Terminators (“Peaceloks”), and we have the rebel forces (Miranda, Wakowski and the rest), and we have Aaron gleefully playing with their fates with time travel trickery and sheer malice. He gives us a look inside one of the “Peaceloks” heads in this issue, showing us that inside each of these killing machines is a merciless murderer who maintains his own sanity by murdering people. It’s intriguing and adds a strange depth to these previously shallow death bringers.
Ron Garney was always a favorite of mine growing up, and his work on this title just continues to corroborate why childhood David Harper was right. His action sequences in this issue are as well plotted and set up as any you’ll see, and he gives us some of the best Wolverine renditions we’ve ever seen. He presents and all of his co-stars in a very real and powerful way, developing the look with a very tight, clean lined look that is aided by superb inking and coloring. This is a quintessential Wolverine artist in my mind, and Garney knows that he’s playing in a sandbox he’s perfect for. I don’t know if I could enjoy it more.
This book is just awesome. I know I’m a bit of Jason Aaron homer, but the man deserves all the credit he gets: he’s brilliant. When paired with a title that fits his mindset and with a collaborator who can give him everything he asks for, the results are spellbinding. I continue to love this book, unabashedly.
Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy
